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Post by tams on Dec 16, 2021 0:23:17 GMT -8
Hi
For those of you who have reptile heaters for your tanks, what types / brands can you recommend? We are considering starting again with gerbils in the new year following the sad and sudden loss of Beans and Bop.
After the kind guidance from you good people, we are going to make sure that next time the cold won’t be a factor.
Thanks
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Post by Markpd on Dec 27, 2021 5:52:04 GMT -8
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Post by betty on Dec 29, 2021 4:23:59 GMT -8
I read this and went to find the names of the ones I had brought and the heat emitted - but I couldn't find anything - I will speak to the other half and update below asap*.
*They are currently fighting a trio of giant baddies in a game right now - so can't be disturbed!!!
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Post by Scott on Jan 3, 2022 4:12:38 GMT -8
I bought these last winter but didn't end up using them at the time. But my gerbil became ill a few weeks back and the vet recommended that I remove the bedding from his tank so that I can check to be sure there's no blood in his urine. So now I have the heater attached to the back right-side wall (putting it under the tank could trap too much heat), and he beds himself right next to it. |
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Post by Markpd on Jan 3, 2022 4:58:38 GMT -8
Which one of those did you buy? (link shows a search result page on Amazon). Thinking about whether to get one myself for the very cold days (although it's been very mild lately!), 7-45w is much less power than even just getting my PCs graphics card to number crunch, e.g folding@home, about an extra 110w! (my PC is on anyway crunching World community grid with the CPU). [edit] Although with a min recommended temp of 10C by the FAQ, I probably don't need it? Although it would still be useful in the future for an ill gerbil..... |
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Post by LilyandDaisy on Jan 3, 2022 5:19:16 GMT -8
I have this one: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B083HTFVDF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1I was unsure about buying one from a white label brand but it came recommended by someone on another forum so I thought I'd give it a try. I used it continuously for a couple of months and I have no complaints. It gets hot and stays hot. It has a thermostat which allows you to set the temperature, and an attached probe, though I don't use that since it would require having a wire in the gerbil tank. I didn't realise when I bought it that it's sticky on one side with a peel-off sheet, so you stick it to the tank. That's an advantage in one way (because you can have it on the side of the tank) and also a disadvantage (because I don't know what you're supposed to do when you want to move it). I actually only stuck on the tank by peeling back the paper from the corners, rather than taking it off completely, and when I no longer needed it on the tank I just pulled it off and restuck the paper over the corners. I hope I'll be able to reuse it that way. |
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Post by Scott on Jan 3, 2022 5:37:47 GMT -8
Which one of those did you buy? (link shows a search result page on Amazon). Thinking about whether to get one myself for the very cold days (although it's been very mild lately!), 7-45w is much less power than even just getting my PCs graphics card to number crunch, e.g folding@home, about an extra 110w! (my PC is on anyway crunching World community grid with the CPU). [edit] Although with a min recommended temp of 10C by the FAQ, I probably don't need it? Although it would still be useful in the future for an ill gerbil..... Strange--when I click the link it brings me right to the product page. Zoo Med ReptiTherm Under Tank Heater, 10 to 20 Gallons, 8" x 6" Item model number : ZM30005-2PK-LEE ASIN : B0778GJ2JN This is via Amazon-US, BTW. |
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Post by Markpd on Jan 3, 2022 6:34:01 GMT -8
For some reason it now forces me to the UK Amazon site  , it never used to do that!
[edit]Nope! It goes to the UK site search results! (even after I change the country from UK to US, it defaults to UK when clicking on the link).
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Post by betty on Jan 3, 2022 11:25:03 GMT -8
The one I am currently using is from Lucky Reptile: 230 volts 15 watts.
It is a small rectangle and it is very warm to touch (I have some that are really not that hot to touch too - but I have never really paid attention to the volts/watts on them all over the years).
As for the sticky part - if you leave them stuck on for any length of time you will more than likely never get the sticky off your tank ever again! They aren't designed to be mobile at all - great strength on most of them. They are to stick on the sides as often substrate in reptile enclosures is on top of 'dry balls' (a way to raise the substrate up to avoid mould) so the heat never gets through - and of course many reptiles and amphibs never sit on the ground anyway. However, I always have my heat pads underneath the tank itself - where their main nest is - but always on top of a magazine or sheet of cardboard so the mat itself isn't in contact with carpet or shelf.
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Post by thebeck on Jan 18, 2022 19:12:48 GMT -8
Reptile keeper here.
Zoo Med works great. I would strongly recommend that you place the heater on the side of your tank and only covering not more than 1/2 of the side and slightly higher up from the bottom. With it on a side, the gerbils can self regulate the proper temperature for themselves. I would not recommend placing the under tank heater on the bottom of your tank. With the amount of bedding generally used for gerbils it would defeat its purpose. And without a thermostat, it also could overheat. On the side of the enclosure is a safer way to use it.
Depending on which reptile, or how the enclosure is set up, I generally place "under tank heaters" on the side of the enclosures.
Another trick is to also use a piece of strofoam to insulate the backside of the heater and better focus the heat into the tank. It does not generate enough heat to melt the strofoam. Again, I do when placing a "under tank heater" on the sides of a tank. And this also allows me to buy smaller under tank heaters that "recommended" for the size tank which still providing the necessary level of heating.
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Post by tams on Jan 20, 2022 5:54:09 GMT -8
Thanks everyone for your suggestions.
Our house is cold so I definitely feel better about having this in place when we start again. Have contacted the breeder so hopefully he will be happy to sell us a couple more. 🤞🏻
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), late 70s
, it never used to do that!